Thursday, 30 October 2008

Collection Lambert, 5 rue VioletteTu ne peux cacher ton amour pour toujours. (You cannot hide your love forever)Cobblestones, bicycles and suggestive words, there are times when Avignon could compete with Paris as the city of love. This is the courtyard of Collection Lambert, Avignon's museum of modern art. I already mentioned the current Douglas Gordon exhibition in a previous post here. Access to the courtyard is free and I strongly recommend visitors take a peek, there are several other captions (I won't reveal them all) which become all the more powerful when written on walls. Many are vague enough that visitors can interpret them in any way they like and find relevance to them. Clever!

Wednesday, 29 October 2008

Yes the French are known to eat 'escargots' but these little sand snails are no more than a centimeter in diameter and I've never seen anyone pick them even though they come in their hundreds in some areas of the countryside. However a hiker told me last weekend about an old lady who used to sell them on the Vieux Port in Marseilles, fried with garlic and olive oil. There wasn't much to eat in them but it was seen as a nice apetiser. The tradition is now lost.(these are the same snails as the little one you saw on my apple post of 22 October)

Tuesday, 28 October 2008

Galerie du Pharo, a private art gallery in rue Joseph Vernet showcases an interesting collection of contemporary sculptures at the moment, here in the afternoon sun. Are you sensitive to such pieces ? Do you have a favorite among those you see?

Monday, 27 October 2008

Pernes les FontainesThe tree (or its shadow) is easy to see - but can you spot the lovely fountain ? It's a stone basin located just in front of the passers-by. This is one of the forty fountains you can see throughout the village of Pernes les Fontaines, not far from Avignon. A self-guided walk takes you from one to another. Just for info, the fountain has a small but constant flow and delivers drinking water, which is not always the case in France if the water comes from a local spring whose quality cannot be guaranteed.

Sunday, 26 October 2008

Now is also the time when almonds are ripe and ready to be picked. I'd never seen almond trees before coming to the region. Fresh almonds are wonderful to eat under the tree, using two stones to crack them open.

Saturday, 25 October 2008

Ile de la BarthelasseExpanding my bug collection. The two photos show the same bug which I followed for a little while. I was intrigued by what looked like little eggs sticking to its legs. Do any of my biologist friends know anything about that?

Friday, 24 October 2008

Cloitre St LouisParcours de l'Art (Avignon Art Walk) is a contemporary art exhibit that takes place from 8 to 29 October in thirty different locations in and around Avignon. A free brochure available from the tourist office will give you the details about the locations and all 34 artists involved so you can make your own itinerary around town. Here in the beautiful outdoor space of Cloitre Saint Louis are a few sculptures by Dominique Coutelle. Access to all exhibits is free.

Avignon's Art Walk reminds me of another event that currently takes place in Sydney: Sculpture by the Sea, a wonderful display of contemporary art along the coastal walk from Bondi Beach to Tamarama - an event dear to my heart. Now is the time of year when I long to be back in Sydney; I console myself by watching Sally's photos of the event. Thanks for that Sally!

Wednesday, 22 October 2008

The region is a big apple producer and most apples have been picked by now but in this particular orchard they haven't, and I'm not sure why. The trees looked well maintained but the fruit looked over-ripe. Are the prices too low to justify picking? I know golden apples such as these are having a tough time competing with cheaper alternatives from Italy or Spain. The future looks brighter for tastier and fancier varieties - as well as for organic products.

Sunday, 19 October 2008

Mairie d'Avignon, place de l'horlogeI saw four weddings (but no funeral) in town yesterday - dressed-up crowds posing in parks for photo shootings, long lines of cars hooting around the avenues, shiny cars decorated with ribbons and flowers... and musicians too, who played for two weddings in a row at the door of Avignon's town hall. I loved the joy they brought, they were a delight to watch and listen to!

Saturday, 18 October 2008

Liberté de parole. Libération de Jean-Marc Rouillan. La solidarité est une arme.Freedom of speech. Free Jean-Marc Rouillan. Solidarity is a weapon.Demonstration Wednesday the 18th, 6 pm, on the Vieux-Port (old harbour) in Marseilles.Only those of you familiar with French politics would understand this poster, which was widely spread around town over the last week. Activist Jean-Marc Rouillan, co-founder of extreme left movement Action Directe in the eighties was responsible in 1985 and 1986 for two political murders for which he was twice sentenced to life in jail with a minimum of 18 years. After 20 years he was paroled to go out to work during the day, coming back to sleep in jail at night. But last week in an interview with the French magazine l'Express he had words that, while elusive, meant to say that he felt no regrets for his crimes. A judge therefore send him back to prison full time. Some say this is an unacceptable breach of freedom of speech, hence this poster. I'm not sure how big the demonstration in Marseilles turned out to be but it failed to change the course of justice: on Thursday (16 Oct) the court confirmed the ruling and Jean-Marc Rouillan is back in prison full time. Would you say there is adequate freedom of speech in your own country?

Friday, 17 October 2008

Rue du Vieux Sextier7:30 am yesterday morning, few passers-by in the street. Our autumn mornings are getting darker, we haven't switched back from daylight saving time yet. I rushed to the Popes' Palace to catch a glimpse of the moon before it set in the soft light of dawn. I captured it at the foot of the calvary in front of Notre-Dame des Doms cathedral, quite happy with my find. On the way back I stopped at the boulangerie and bought some fresh baguette for breakfast, as I do everyday. Got home just as my daughter was waking up - good morning, good morning to you!This post is linked to Skywatch Friday, an increasingly large community of bloggers who look up to the sky every Friday. I wonder if you'll see more moon shots there?

Thursday, 16 October 2008

Many end of season figs, if not picked, will burst open in the most unrestrained manner.I'm sure I was a hunter-gatherer in a previous life because I have an uncanny ability to spot food in nature. I found quite a few figs during my latest weekend hikes and they're always divine to eat on the spot. In the top photo I love the pink wall and green-blue shutter in the background. Below is the result of last Sunday's walk.

Wednesday, 15 October 2008

Two more photos of the Brocante Passion antiques market in Villeneuve lez Avignon last weekend, each with a very different atmosphere. Would you say you belong rather to the top photo or to the silverware world? Perhaps you have a foot on each side... (for those of you curious about the green sign above, zone de travail means working zone)

Tuesday, 14 October 2008

Last weekend there was an antiques fair on the market square of Villeneuve-lez-Avignon and guess what I found? Yes, ancient white and blue enamel number plaques that many foreigners regard as quintessentially French. Unfortunately not all numbers were available otherwise I would have started taking orders for my distant friends. Is there a number you would you have been interested in ?

Monday, 13 October 2008

Exceptionally this photo is not one I took but one I appear in. The purpose was to showcase this shark graffiti which appears in several places around town. The photo comes courtesy of m.benaut, my blogging friend from Adelaide, South Australia. If you recall, I mentioned his visit here. Thanks again dear friends for the fun we shared!Which of the two types of sharks above are you most likely to be afraid of?

Saturday, 11 October 2008

We're experiencing wonderful Indian summer temperatures at the moment with quiet and warm days perfect for outdoor pursuits. Parallel to the Rhone, which is a pretty wild river, runs a canal not used for traffic but as an overflow in case of floods. I have no idea what sort of fish you can catch in there but I loved this peaceful father-and-son fishing scene when I walked past last Saturday. The father was fly fishing, a fascinating movement to watch. Do you like to go fishing?

Friday, 10 October 2008

Rue du Vieux SextierOutdoor cafe scene in one of Avignon's pedestrian streets. A cold drink fridge window provided an unusual portrait opportunity. Kronenbourg beer, Lipton Peach Ice Tea, Sprite, Orangina, Perrier, Coca Cola, Fanta, do you have all of those drinks where you live?I wonder what this lady was saying... In these days of mad financial crisis I figured "are you insane?" was the best caption. Any other suggestions?

Thursday, 9 October 2008

Rue de la BonneterieOnly twice a year for a few weeks in March and October does the sun rise directly in the axis of rue Bonneterie, thus hitting this facade completely sideways and detailing the volumes in the wall and wooden shutters. At other times of the year the sun either hits the wall more from up front (in summer) or rises behind the house (in winter). As you can see I tried two very different treatments to an almost identical scene. Can you tell me which photo you prefer, the sepia or the natural one, and why?

Wednesday, 8 October 2008

MaubecAs most of you know, the region is a heavy producer of wines, mostly red, the Côtes du Rhône. By mid-October most of the grapes have been harvested but not all, as you can see from these photos taken last weekend. What's your favorite wine? Red or white?

Tuesday, 7 October 2008

About thirty kilometres east of Avignon is an old village called Maubec. A few hundred meters from the village at the foot of the Luberon mountain range is a house tucked away among the vineyards. I walked past in on Sunday while on a walk in the foot hills. The morning sun was warming up the facade, I thought to myself I could live there.

Saturday, 4 October 2008

Musée Calvet, courtyardWIth its four huge plane trees and a facade of perfectly balanced 18th century proportions, the inner courtyard of the Calvet Museum is a delightful place to spend a few quiet moments before carrying on with a visit of the museum. One artwork I particularly enjoyed was this terracota virgin and child by an Avignon artist of the 18th century.

After six years in Australia and five years of city life in Avignon I moved to the countryside near the small village of Beaumes-de-Venise. Once dedicated to street photography my blog has since taken a more rural note but the beautiful region of Provence is an constant source of inspiration.